Who we are
Our wonderful team of staff and volunteers
Meet our people
Our team of staff and volunteers at Downing Place URC
Pastoral Vacancy
Following the retirement of our minister, the Reverend Nigel Uden, in July 2025, Downing Place URC is now in pastoral vacancy. During this time the leadership team comprises of the Officers & Elders of the church. To contact them please email secretary@downingplaceurc.org
Here to help
Downing Place has a friendly team of staff and volunteers who between them look after all aspects of running the Church and the buildings. Please feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions or if we can be of any assistance.
Lunchtime Concert Series
If you are a performer who would like to contact us about the possibility of being part of our Lunchtime Concert Series, please email concerts@downingplaceurc.org – thankyou.
In vacancy
Minister of Downing Place URC
Alison Binney teaches English in a secondary school and on the PGCE English course at the University of Cambridge. She is an elder at Downing Place URC and co-founded Open Table Cambridge, our community for LGBTQ+ people and their allies, which meets twice a month for worship and discussion. In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing poetry and walking.
Mark Dawes teaches mathematics at Comberton Village College. As a teenager he was organ scholar at Great St Mary’s Church (where he was taught by Christopher Moore) and then read mathematics at Oxford while the organ scholar at Balliol College. After a stint as organist at Trumpington Church Mark became the organist at Emmanuel URC on Easter Sunday 2004. He is now Director of Music at Downing Place URC.
Jess serves as Church Coordinator, overseeing the day-to-day running of the church and working closely with colleagues, church members and hirers to support the church’s activities and the care and use of the building. She aims to ensure that Downing Place is a welcoming and safe space for everyone. She also supports the church’s community, outreach and mission work, helping to build connections and create opportunities for Downing Place to be an active presence in the wider community.
Jess is based at Downing Place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and works from home on Mondays and Fridays.
Matt is our Residential Caretaker and Facilities Officer, looking after the day-to-day care, security and availability of the church premises. He works closely with church members and hirers to help ensure the building is safe, welcoming and ready for the many activities that take place here throughout the week.
Matt works Monday and Wednesday to Saturday. As our residential caretaker, he also helps to support the security and care of the premises outside normal working hours.
Greta plays a key role in the day-to-day running of the Office, providing essential administrative support and helping to keep things organised behind the scenes. She works closely with church members and hirers, coordinating bookings and events and helping to ensure that this important part of our community life runs as smoothly as possible.
Greta is in the Office Monday to Friday, 9am–3pm,
Kaye is our Bookkeeper, looking after the day-to-day financial administration of the church and keeping our accounts and records accurate and up to date. She provides practical bookkeeping support to the Treasurer and Finance Group.
Kaye works at Downing Place on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Address
Downing Street,
Cambridge
CB2 3EL
Registered Charity Number
1131462
Downing Place URC
Downing Place is a community of people who seek to take God seriously through worship, study and service that are responses to the living, dying and rising of Jesus Christ and rooted in his teaching.
